Use Of Public Dental Services Research Articles

Explaining public dental service utilization: A theoretical model.

Constructing and validating a theoretical model of relationships between dental services use and socioeconomic characteristics, oral health status, primary care coverage, and public dental services. The first stage of the study consisted of developing a theoretical-conceptual model to demonstrate the expected relationships between variables based on the literature. In the second stage, we tested the proposed theoretical model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique, using data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2019 with a sample of 41,664 individuals aged 15 or older. This study successfully defined a theoretical model that explains the systematic relationships involving public dental services utilization. Socioeconomic status was negatively associated with oral health status (β = -0.376), enrollment in primary care facilities (β = -0.254), and the use of public dental consultations (β = -0.251). Being black, indigenous, or living in a rural area was directly associated with lower socioeconomic status and greater use of public dental services. The identified relationships, establishing a theoretical basis for further investigations, also provide evidence of a public access policy's effect on oral health services on equity, supporting the construction of more effective and equitable public policies.

Oral health coverage in the Family Health Strategy and use of dental services in adolescents in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, 2019: cross-sectional study.

To analyze the association between the coverage by oral health teams in the Family Health Strategy (FHS-OH) and the use of dental services among 12-year-old adolescents in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, 2019. This is a cross-sectional study involving school-based research, which adopted the use of dental services as its outcome. Structural equation modeling was used to test the association between covariates and the outcome. Of the 615 participants, 74.0% used dental services in the last three years. ESF-SB (oral health coverage by family health strategy, acronym in Portuguese) ≥50% was associated with a greater use of public dental services [standardized coefficient (SC) = 0.10 -95%CI 0.01;0.18], a lower use of these services for prevention (SC = -0.07 -95%CI -0.17;0.01) and higher unhealthy food consumption (SC = 0.19 -95%CI 0.11;0.26). Higher ESF-SB coverage was associated with a lower use of dental services for prevention and higher unhealthy food consumption. Teams must organize the access to oral health service and qualify the work process.

Health literacy on oral health practice and condition in an adult and elderly population

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of health literacy (HL) on health practices and oral health outcomes in an adult and elderly population in Brazil. A cross-sectional study nested in a cohort study was followed up over a period of four years (2011 and 2015) and assessed individuals between 23 and 69 years old from Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected by means of oral examinations (coronal caries, periodontal disease and visible biofilm) and interviews (socioeconomic, demographic, oral health-related quality of life, health practices and HL). The 14-item Health Literacy Scale (HLS) was used for HL data, which was the main explanatory variable. The result of the sum of the HLS-14 questionnaire for each participant was dichotomized into the median (46 points): 'high' and 'low' HL. Binary/multinomial logistic regressions were performed on health practice and oral health outcomes, controlled by age and sex (Model 1) and age, sex and socioeconomic status (Model 2; p < 0.05). The final sample consisted of 137 subjects and 43.8% (n = 60) presented low HL (LHL). LHL was associated with health practices, such as use of public dental services in Model 1 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.14-0.87) and use of dental services for emergency in Model 1 (OR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.29-5.51) and Model 2 (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.17-7.30). Based on age and sex, LHL was associated with use of public dental service and use of emergency dental visits. Based on age, sex and socioeconomic status, LHL was associated with use of emergency dental visits.

Use of public dental services by elderly Brazilians: a multilevel analysis

This study evaluated whether the use of dental services of the Unified Health System (SUS) by elderly Brazilians is equitable. Individual data collected by qualified professionals during the national oral health survey (2010) and contextual data from DATASUS and IBGE were used. The dependent variable was the type of service used: SUS and others. Multilevel analyses were conducted using logistic regression (α=5%) (OR/CI 95%) using SPSS 24.0. A total of 6,303 elderly people were included and the prevalence of dental service use in SUS was 30%. Associated contextual factors were: access to bathroom and running water (1.54/1.19-2.00) and the dental care index (1.41/1.10-1.81); the individual factors were: age (0.77/0.66-0.90), years of schooling (1.83/1.53-2.20), family income (2.57/2.20-3.01), reason for last dental visit (0.75/0.60-0.93), decayed teeth total (1.26/1.08-1.48), plugged teeth total (0.63/0.54-0.74), dental prosthesis use (2.23/1.91-2.59), dental pain (1.36/1.11-1.67), self-perception of the need for dental treatment (1.20/1.12-1.51) and need for dental prosthesis (1.38/1.20-1.59). Dental service from SUS has been equitable, however it is necessary to organize the working process, enabling its use in a regular and preventive manner, thereby seeking universality and comprehensiveness.

Factors associated with public dental service use by adults in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, 2016.

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with public dental care use by adults in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample of adults aged 35 to 44 years using data from the 2015 Epidemiological Survey of the Oral Health Status of the Population of the State of São Paulo (SBSP-2015). Multivariate logistic regression was performed using variables based on a model proposed by Andersen for predicting access to public dental services. Results: 3,421 (59.9%) adults visited private services and 2,288 (40.1%) visited public services. Prevalence of the use of public dental services was greatest among women (41.8%) and adults with a lower education level (50.2%). Being non-white (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.50), lower household income (OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 2.11, 2.65), having had toothache (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.83), and need for endodontic treatment (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.85) were associated with public dental service use. Predisposing, enabling, and need factors were associated with public dental care use.

Economic crisis, austerity and its effects on the financing of oral health and access to public and private services.

The present study analyzed the effects of austerity and economic crisis on the financing of oral health, provision and use of public services and access to exclusively dental plans in Brazil, from 2003 to 2018. A retrospective, descriptive study was carried out, with a quantitative approach. Data were collected from the National Health Funding database, the National Supplementary Health Agency, the Strategic Management Support Room, and from the e-manager system. The federal fund-to-fund transfer was increasing from 2003 to 2010 and remained stable from 2011 to 2018. The supply decreased at the end of the period, with reduced coverage of the first programmatic dental appointment, average supervised tooth brushing and number of endodontic treatments. Against the background of the public financial crisis, exclusively dental plan companies expanded the market from 2.6 million users in 2000 to 24.3 million in 2018, with a profit of more than R$ 240 million. Fiscal austerity has a strong influence on the use of public dental services in Brazil, which can benefit the private market and widen inequalities.

Use of Dental Care Among Pregnant Women in the Brazilian Unified Health System.

To assess the prevalence of and factors associated with the use of public Unified Health System-based dental services by pregnant women and recent mothers. In this cross-sectional study, face to face interviews were conducted to collect data on the outcome of interest (prevalence of use of dental care) and independent variables (sociodemographic, pregnancy, and prenatal care data). A total of 302 pregnant women seen at public dental services in the municipality of Canoas, southern Brazil, were interviewed. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test and hierarchical Poisson regression with robust variance (p < 0.05). The prevalence of use of dental care among pregnant women was 50% (n = 151). Pregnant women who initiated prenatal care in the first trimester showed a 34% higher likelihood of using dental care (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.34; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.27-1.61); this likelihood was 12% higher among multiparous women (PR 1.12; 95%CI 1.03-1.23), and 40% higher among women who received guidance to seek dental care (PR 1.40; 95%CI 1.30-1.51). The present findings suggest that starting prenatal care in the first trimester, being multiparous, and receiving guidance to seek dental care significantly contributed to the use of public dental services during pregnancy in the population assessed. These factors should be considered when planning public health policies for this population.

Produção endodôntica no atendimento público odontológico do Centro-Oeste do Brasil

Pouco se sabe sobre o atendimento público odontológico no Centro-Oeste do Brasil, ainda menos sobre sua produção endodôntica. Esta produção é realizada principalmente nos Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas (CEO), referência pública para tratamento endodôntico, acessível na base de dados DATASUS. Foi objetivo deste estudo explorar a produção endodôntica nas capitais dos estados da Região Centro-Oeste e do Distrito Federal do Brasil. Este estudo retrospectivo transversal analisou a produção endodôntica destes municípios de janeiro de 2011 a dezembro de 2016. Os dados foram obtidos consultando as bases do Ministério da Saúde (DATASUS) e do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Os valores foram comparados por análise de variância e os testes de Kolmogorov-Smirnov e Levene seguidos pelo teste post hoc de Tukey. O nível de significância foi definido em p&lt;0,05. Dentre as cidades analisadas, Campo Grande teve a maior produção endodôntica por habitante, seguida de Cuiabá e Goiânia com produções similares, e Brasília. Os dentes com três ou mais canais radiculares apresentaram maior incidência de tratamento endodôntico comparados a dentes com um ou dois canais radiculares. A produção endodôntica dos CEO das capitais dos estados da Região Centro-Oeste e do Distrito Federal do Brasil foi proporcionalmente maior em Campo Grande e menor em Brasília. O tratamento endodôntico foi realizado preferencialmente nos dentes com três ou mais canais radiculares. As instituições de ensino devem estar atentas às mudanças para que seus egressos sejam formados em consonância com o perfil epidemiológico da população bem como com as políticas públicas de saúde.

Factors associated with the use of dental care by elderly residents of the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract Objective: To investigate factors associated with the use of dental care services. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of elderly individuals aged 65 years or older residing in the state of São Paulo in 2015 was performed. Hierarchical multivariate logistic regression analysis was used based on the theoretical model of access determination proposed by Andersen (1995) to predict dental care visits. Results: The prevalence of public service use by the elderly was 1.981 (37.8%), while 3.253 (62.2%) used the private service/ health plan/ other type of service. Hierarchical multiple analysis (p≤0.05) identified that less schooling or never having studied, non-white, lower income and motivated by pain/extraction were associated with the use of public dental services. The study showed a reduced use of public dental care among elderly persons who required some type of upper dentures (except complete dentures), need for some type of lower dentures (including complete dentures) and demonstrated a positive self-perception of oral health condition. Conclusions: A higher prevalence of the use of private dental care/health plan/other type of service was identified. Less schooling or never having studied, non-white skin color, lower income and seeking the dentist with pain or to extract teeth were factors associated with the use of public dental services by the elderly.

Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in the use of dental care services among older adults in Brazil.

The primary objectives are to assess socioeconomic inequality in the use of dental care among older Brazilian adults and to analyse the extent to which certain determinants contribute to that inequality. A cross-sectional study using data from the National Oral Health Survey conducted in 2010. All individuals answered a structured questionnaire containing questions on their use of dental care and socioeconomic conditions and underwent a clinical oral examination by a dentist. Concentration indices were decomposed to determine the contribution of socioeconomic factors to inequalities. Being in the fifth wealth, quintile was associated with higher odds of having recently visited a dentist (reference: 1st quintile, odds-ratio (OR) 2.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51-3.38). In addition, being in the top two quintiles of wealth was negatively associated with the use of public dental services. Having eight or more years of schooling was associated with higher odds of both having a recent dental visit and receiving preventive care (relative to having 0-3 years of education), and negatively associated with using public dental services. Results indicate pro-rich inequalities in recent dental visits and preventive dental care. Further, there was a pro-poor inequality in the use of public dental care services. The recent use of dental care and the use of preventive care are disproportionately concentrated among wealthier older adults, whereas the use of public services is more common among poorer individuals. Wealth inequalities in dental care use were mainly explained by socioeconomic factors, such as wealth and education, rather than oral health factors, such as needing treatment or a dental prosthesis.

Oral health policy in Brazil between 2003 and 2014: scenarios, proposals, actions, and outcomes.

This study examined the implementation of Brazil's National Oral Health Policy by the three governments during the period 2003 to 2014. It provides a general overview of oral health care scenarios and examines institutional proposals and actions developed by the executive branch based on the components of the health care system. A documental analysis was conducted using documents produced by key government agencies. The findings show that there was an increase in the provision and coverage of public dental services between 2003 and 2006 and that rates were maintained to a certain degree in subsequent periods (2007 to 2010 and 2011 to 2014). There was an expansion in government funding, human resources and infrastructure. The amount of funds transferred to state and local governments increased from 83.4 million in 2003 to 916 million in 2014, equivalent to a 10.9 fold increase. However, the use of public dental services remained stable, with only a slight increase from 29.7% in 2003 to 30.7% in 2008, while private service utilization increased from 64.4% in 2003 to 74.3% in 2013. The care model component was given lowest priority by the three governments. This shortcoming influences policy effectiveness and requires the adoption of future measures by healthcare managers and officials to correct the situation.

Multilevel modeling for dental caries among adolescents in a Brazilian large city

Dental caries is a complex disease, which needs an approach that considers caries influencing factors at different levels and their integration. Multilevel Modeling is a clustered analysis of variables from the individual to the community level. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of social and biological factors grouped into hierarchical levels, in students with caries. A sample of 687 students was evaluated from public and private schools of Curitiba. The parameters evaluated were: individual level, school level and district level. Individual variables had a highly significant association with caries experience, also in the presence of school and district levels. Male sex negatively associated with caries experience. However, the interaction between male sex and no fluoride use was positively associated with caries. Lower socioeconomic status, dental biofilm, and fluorosis were associated with caries. Nevertheless, the interaction between dental biofilm and fluorosis was negatively associated with caries experience. The interaction between no flossing and use of public dental services were also associated with caries outcome. Individual factors were associated with caries experience even with the inclusion of contextual variables in the study population.

Use of Public Oral Health Services by the Adult Population: A Multilevel Analysis.

BackgroundIt is important to assess context to explain inequalities in oral health, particularly with regard to the type of service used; thus, this study aimed to identify the social determinants of public dental service use by adults and to assess whether, beyond the level individual, existing inequalities are also expressed in the context in which individuals are embedded.MethodsA multilevel analysis with three levels of aggregation of variables was performed. The individual variables were derived from the database of the SB Minas Gerais project—a survey of oral health status of the population of Minas Gerais, a state of the Brazilian Southeast region. The variable at the neighborhood level came from the Census of 2010. The variables at the municipal level were obtained from available public databases relating to oral health services. At the municipal level, the Human Development Index (HDI) variable was chosen to represent quality of life in the municipalities.ResultsIn the final model, the following individual variables were associated with greater use of public dental services: lower income (PR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.53; 2.58), higher number of residents at home (PR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.11; 1.68) and higher number of teeth requiring treatment (PR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.20; 1.84). With regard to context variables, a poorer infrastructure (PR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.40; 0.96) leads to a lower use of public services.ConclusionThe use of public services is associated with family income, how this income is divided in households, the need for treatment presented by the individual and the organization of the existing oral health service infrastructure in the municipality.

Association between coverage by oral health teams in the family health and the increase in dental care output in Brazilian municipalities, 1999 and 2011

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between population coverage by oral health teams under the Family Health Strategy (FHS) and the difference in 1999 and 2011 in rates of use of public dental services in Brazilian municipalities. The sample included all 5,507 municipalities in both years. Data were used from government information systems to perform logistic regression for modeling the increase in procedure rates. By 2011, 85% of Brazil's municipalities had oral health teams under the FHS and there had been an increase in infrastructure, human and financial resources. Dental care output increased 49.5% from 1999 to 2011. Municipalities that incorporated more than 3 oral health teams per 10,000 inhabitants showed higher odds of increasing their rates of community procedures (OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.23-2.11), prophylactic procedures (OR = 2.05, CI95%: 1.56-2.69), restorations (OR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.58-2.71), and extractions (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.19-1.97) after adjusting for socio-demographic factors and variations in physical, human and financial resources. The incorporation of oral health teams into the FHS appears more effective for increasing indicators of the use of dental services.

Dental caries in Uruguayan adults and elders: findings from the first Uruguayan National Oral Health Survey.

This study aimed to assess dental caries status and associated factors in Uruguayan adults and elders using data from the first Uruguayan National Oral Health Survey. Data were representative of the country as a whole. Socio-demographic information was collected with a closed questionnaire. Dental caries was assessed by clinical examination using the DMFT index. The final sample consisted of 769 participants. Mean DMFT was 15.20 and 24.12 for the 35-44 and 65-74-year age groups, respectively. Mean number of decayed teeth was 1.70 in adults and 0.66 in elders. Multivariate analyses showed higher prevalence of dental caries associated with age 65-74 years, low socioeconomic status, use of public dental services, presence of gingivitis; for decayed teeth, age 35-44 years, low socioeconomic status, use of public dental services, infrequent tooth brushing, need for oral health care, and presence of root caries showed higher severity. Uruguayan adults and elders from disadvantaged backgrounds concentrated a heavier burden of dental caries.

Heavy consumption of dental services; a longitudinal cohort study among Finnish adults

BackgroundA reform to Dental Care legislation in 2002 abolished age limits restricting adults’ use of public dental services in Finland. In the Public Dental Service (PDS) unit of Espoo, the proportion of adult patients rose from 36% to 57%. The aim of this study was to investigate heavy use of dental services by adults and its determinants.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study was undertaken based on a PDS patient register. Of all adults who attended the PDS in Espoo in 2004, those who had six or more visits (n=3,173) were assigned to the heavy user group and a comparison group of low users (n=22,820) had three or fewer dental visits. A sample of 320 patients was randomly selected from each group. Baseline information (year 2004) on age, sex, number and type of visit, oral health status and treatment provided was collected from treatment records. Each group was followed-up for five years and information on the number and types of visit was recorded for each year from 2005 to 2009.ResultsMost heavy users (61.6%) became low users and only 11.2% remained chronic heavy users. Most low users (91.0%) remained low users. For heavy users, the mean number of dental visits per year (3.0) during the follow-up period was significantly lower than initially in 2004 (8.3) (p<0.001) but 74.8% of heavy users had had emergency visits compared with 21.6% of the low users (p<0.001).A third (33%) of the visitors in each group had no proper examination and treatment planning during the 5-year follow-up period and two or more examinations were provided to fewer than half of the heavy (46.1%) or low (46.5%) users.The mean number of treating dentists was 5.7 for heavy users and 3.8 for low users (p<0.001).ConclusionsFrequent emergency visits were characteristic of heavy users of dental services. Treatment planning was inadequate, probably partly due to the many dentists involved and too many patients requesting care. Better local management and continuous education are needed to ensure good quality adult dental care and to reduce heavy consumption.

Características do acesso e utilização de serviços odontológicos em municípios de médio porte

This cross-sectional study sought to describe the main characteristics of access and utilization of primary and specialized public dental services in two medium-sized cities in Bahia with 100% coverage of the Family Health Program. A survey of 952 households and 2.539 individuals aged over 15 years was conducted. The main variables analyzed were: perceived oral health needs, demand for the service, barriers of organizational access and the type of service and procedure utilized. The use of specialized public dental services was of 11.7% and primary care was 26%. In the city where there was greater use of public dental services, there was less use of private services. The main barrier to access remained in primary care (from 5.0% to 15.2%). There was little interface between secondary care a primary care, as only 16.6% of users returned to this level of care. In conclusion, the main barrier to access in cities with specific organizational and geographic realities appears to be in primary dental care. Individual preventive actions were little reported. It is recommended that barriers to access in primary care be eliminated, and also that a protocol (clinical guides) be established to foster the continuity and longitudinality of primary dental care.

Factors influencing the use of public dental services: An application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour

BackgroundThere is limited evidence of the influence of psychosocial factors and health beliefs on public dental patient's patterns of service use in Australia. The research aims were to examine associations between dental attitudes and beliefs of public dental service users and dental visiting intention and behaviour using the Theory of Planned Behaviour.Methods517 randomly selected adult public dental patients completed a questionnaire assessing dental attitudes and beliefs which was matched with electronic records for past and future dental service use. A questionnaire measured intentions, attitudes, subjective norms and perceptions of behavioural control and self-efficacy in relation to visiting public dentists. A measure of dental attendance at public dental clinics was obtained retrospectively (over 3 1/2 years) and prospectively (over a one year period following the return of the questionnaire) by accessing electronic patient clinical records.ResultsParticipants had positive attitudes, subjective norms and self-efficacy beliefs towards dental visiting but perceived a lack of control over visiting the dentist. Attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and perceived control were significant predictors of intention (P < 0.05). Intentions, self-efficacy and past dental attendance were significant predictors of actual dental attendance (P < 0.05).ConclusionPublic dental patients held favourable attitudes and beliefs but perceived a lack of control towards dental visiting. Reducing structural barriers may therefore improve access to public dental services.